A History of the Nation of Islam : Race, Islam, and the Quest for Freedom

The release of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's extensive archive of surveillance files, interviews, and firsthand accounts has made it possible to reveal the truth behind the myths and misperceptions about the Nation of Islam. This comprehensive resource catalogues the times, places, and people that shaped the philosophies from its formative years through to its present incarnation. The definitive source on the subject, __A History of The Nation of Islam: Race, Islam, and the Quest for Freedom__ draws on over a dozen interviews, along with archival and rarely-used sources. The book departs from the usual "Malcolm X-centric" treatment of the subject, and instead examines the early leadership of Fard Muhammad, challenges conventional views on Malcolm X, and explores the present day internal politics of the movement post Louis Farrakhan's retirement. This book provides a fascinating, unparalleled look at the Nation of Islam, including its history, the complexity of its views towards orthodox Muslims, women, and other minorities, and the trajectory of the group after the 1995 Million Man March.The release of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's extensive archive of surveillance files, interviews, and firsthand accounts has made it possible to reveal the truth behind the myths and misperceptions about the Nation of Islam. This comprehensive resource catalogues the times, places, and people that shaped the philosophies from its formative years through to its present incarnation.The definitive source on the subject, A History of The Nation of Islam: Race, Islam, and the Quest for Freedom draws on over a dozen interviews, along with archival and rarely-used sources. The book departs from the usual'Malcolm X-centric'treatment of the subject, and instead examines the early leadership of Fard Muhammad, challenges conventional views on Malcolm X, and explores the present day internal politics of the movement post Louis Farrakhan's retirement.

The release of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's extensive archive of surveillance files, interviews, and firsthand accounts has made it possible to reveal the truth behind the myths and misperceptions about the Nation of Islam. This comprehensive resource catalogues the times, places, and people that shaped the philosophies from its formative years through to its present incarnation.

The definitive source on the subject, A History of The Nation of Islam: Race, Islam, and the Quest for Freedom draws on over a dozen interviews, along with archival and rarely-used sources. The book departs from the usual "Malcolm X-centric" treatment of the subject, and instead examines the early leadership of Fard Muhammad, challenges conventional views on Malcolm X, and explores the present day internal politics of the movement post Louis Farrakhan's retirement.

This new volume on the history of the Nation of Islam examines the roots and growth of this influential American black Muslim organization and explores its internal politics, relationships with conventional civil rights movements, and controversial leadership figures throughout its history. Drawing on interviews and newly released government surveillance and intelligence information, the volume attempts to provide a critical analysis of the organization and to examine its influence on race relations and civil rights history. Gibson is a professor of modern US history at the University of London. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Cover 1 A History of the Nation of Islam 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Preface 10 Acknowledgments 12 Abbreviations 14 1 Early Beginnings 16 2 The Peddler, 1930–1933 28 3 Building an Empire, 1934–1960 42 4 The Messenger and His Minister, 1960–1975 64 5 A House Divided, 1975–1977 86 6 The Resurrected NOI, 1980–1990 100 7 Louis Farrakhan and the Million Man March, 1990–1995 126 8 Internationalizing the Nation, 1995–2005 144 9 Surviving Farrakhan: The “New” Nation of Islam, 2006–2009 170 10 Succession 196 Notes 202 Bibliography 230 Index 242 About the Author 256 Islam's early beginnings The peddler, 1930-1933 Building an empire, 1934-1960 The messenger, 1960-1975 A house divided, 1975-1980 The resurrected noi, 1980-1990 The million man march, 1990-1995 Internationalizing the nation, 1995-2005 Surviving Farrakhan, 2006-2009 Succession.